Ghanteswari Temple

There is not a feeling as blissful as that of reveling in the chimes at the Temple of Bells, Maa Ghanteswari Temple. Seated in the city of Sambalpur, this temple is visited time and again by pilgrims who come and offer wish fulfilling bells to the Goddess Ghanteswari. Moreover, this temple on the fringes of Mahanadi River is adorned with bells which in the yesteryears used to serve as a guide for the sailors. And that’s the reason why this temple is honoured with the name of ‘lighthouse without light’. Over time, the area around the temple is made safer with the construction of the Hirakud Dam and the Chiplima Hydro Power plant in its vicinity. Opening/Closing Time (6:00 AM to 9:00 PM)

Huma Temple

The Huma Temple, also known as the ‘leaning tower of Huma’, is another popular temple of Sambalpur, situated at 23 km from the district, at the banks of River Mahanadi. This temple was built in 1670, by King Baliar Singh, who was the fifth king of the Chauhan Dynasty of Sambalpur. It is known as a leaning temple because it does not stand upright, but is tilted more towards one side. Every item within the temple complex is also skewed.

The main deity of this temple is Lord Shiva. According to legend, there was a milkman who used to cross the Mahanadi every day, to worship Lord Shiva. He used to offer milk to the rock idol of Shiva, which consumed the milk every day. This miraculous incident led to the construction of Huma Temple in the place. The most visited day of this temple is the Shivratri, when a large number of devotees come here for offering milk to the idol of Lord Shiva, present in this temple.

Bhima Bhoi Smrutipeetha, Kandhara

It is situated 25 km distance from Redhakhol towards Boudh. Bhima Bhoi was a great poet, composer and singer. Humanity and liberation of the world were the central theme of his poetic creations. His assertion “mo jeevana pachhe narke padithau, jagata uddhara heu” (let my life remain inglorious, let the world achieve salvation) showcase his broad thinking while being clear reflection of the conditions of socio-economic exclusions during his lifetime.

Hirakud Dam

Hirakud Dam is built across the Mahanadi River, about 15 km from Sambalpur in the state of Odisha in India. Behind the dam extends a lake, Hirakud Reservoir, 55 km long. It is one of the first major multipurpose river valley projects started after India’s independence.

Before the devastating floods of 1936, Sir M. Visveswararya proposed a detailed investigation for storage reservoirs in the Mahanadi basin to tackle the problem of floods in the Mahanadi delta. In 1945, under the chairmanship of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, the Member of Labour, it was decided to invest in the potential benefits of controlling the Mahanadi for multi-purpose use. The Central Waterways, Irrigation and Navigation Commission took up the work. On 15 Mar 1946, Sir Hawthrone Lewis, the Governor of Odisha, laid the foundation stone of the Hirakud Dam. A project report was submitted to the government in June 1947. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru laid the first batch of concrete on 12 April 1948. The dam was completed in 1953 and was formally inaugurated by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on 13 January 1957. The total cost of the project was Rs.1000.2 millions in 1957. Power generation along with agricultural irrigation started in 1956, achieving full potential in 1966.

In the upper drainage basin of the Mahanadi River, centered on the Chhattisgarh Plain, periodic droughts contrast with the situation in the lower delta region where floods may damage crops. The dam was constructed to help alleviate these problems by creating a reservoir and controlling river flow through the drainage system. The dam regulates the flow of the Mahanadi River and produces hydroelectricity through several hydroelectric plants.

The dam helps control floods in the Mahanadi delta and irrigates 75,000 square kilometers of land. Hydroelectricity is also generated. The Hirakud Dam regulates 83,400 km² (32,200 mi²) of Mahanadi’s drainage. The reservoir has a storage capacity of 5.818 km³ with gross of 8.136 km³.

Samaleswari Temple

Shree Shree Samaleswari, the presiding deity of Sambalpur, is a strong religious force in western part of Orissa and Chhattisgarh state of India. On the bank of the river Mahanadi the mother goddess Samaleswari is worshipped from ancient times as Jagatjanani, Adishakti, Mahalaxmi and Mahasaraswati. The region in which the temple is situated has a rich cultural heritage. Sambalpur region is popularly known as Hirakhanda from ancient times. Ptolemy has described the place as Sambalak, Acording to Tavernir, the French traveller, and Edward Gibbon, the English historian, diamonds were exported to Rome from Sambalpur

How to Reach:

By Air

The Nearest airports are Swami Vivekananda International Airport, Raipur (265 K.M) and Biju Pattnaik International Airport, Bhubaneswar (300 K.M). A new airport is being constructed at the industrial township of Jharsuguda (50 K.M) & Nearest Air strip is at Jamadarpali (10 K.M)

By Train

Nearest Railway Station is Sambalpur: 2 KM

By Road

Distance from Private Bus Stand is 7 KM. One can get Auto/Taxi easily.

Forest Park

The Forest Park of Redhakhol is one of the most popular tourist attractions for picnic spot and eco-tourism place of the Sambalpur District of (Orissa). By Road -About 50km from Sambalpur and 4–km from Redhakhol NAC town.